Third Wave is a feminist, activist foundation that works nationally to support young women and transgender youth ages 15 to 30. Through strategic grantmaking, leadership development, and philanthropic advocacy, we support groups and individuals working towards gender, racial, economic, and social justice.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

National Week of Action for Reproductive Justice: April 16-23!

Beginning April 16, youth across the nation will launch our first National Week of Action for Reproductive Justice! Members of the Reproductive Justice Network, a national coalition supported by Third Wave Foundation, will be hosting a variety of activities – from trainings, to speak outs, to advocacy days – to reach other youth, service providers, and policy makers about reproductive justice.

Check out some of the events going on in your area below and hook up with these groups!

COLOR (Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights) will be everywhere in Denver for the National Week of Action! Contact Miriam at miriam@colorlatina.org to meet up on Friday, April 18, when COLOR and LUZ Reproductive Justice Think Tank will be co-presenting a Platica around Reproductive Justice and it’s relation to one of the chapter’s of Incite! The Revolution Will Not Be Funded. Then, the next day, April 19, COLOR and Latinas of Vision will be at Lincoln High School (a comprehensive sexuality education after school program) to host a party to raise awareness on Reproductive Justice and other teen related themes.

New Voices Pittsburgh welcomes Loretta Ross of SisterSong to present on environmental and reproductive justice. We will also host a training for young women of color to become leaders in AIDS education. To get involved, contact La’Tasha at newvoicespgh@gmail.com.

MI-LOLA(Miami International Latinas Organizing for Leadership and Advocacy) will be hosting a party during the National Week of Action for Reproductive Justice on Saturday, April 19, 2008. The event will focus on celebrating reproductive justice with conversation, idea-sharing, action-step making, and lots of good food, music, and drinks. If you would like to find out more about them, please contact mi-lola@gmail.com.

SAFER (Students Active for Ending Rape) will be featuring student bloggers on its website, talking about what reproductive justice means to them and what they are doing to make it a reality. They will also launch a National College Sexual Assault Policies Database, featuring policies and information from across the country to help RJ activists be more effective. They are planning an online training for that week on reproductive justice, sexual assault, and school policy reform. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Margaret at organizers@safercampus.org.

Sistas on the Rise will launch its young mothers’ resource hotline, an 800 number where young moms can call to get resources. Contact Leslie at 718-991-6003 to learn about the call-a-thon!

Young Women’s Empowerment Project is hosting a Chicago-wide speakout on April 18th co-sponsored by more than 15 other organizations! Many of us have lived through discrimination from all types of systems, like health care, education, criminal justice, and social services, and YWEP feels that learning about it and speaking out about it is essential to fighting back. If you want to build their coalition with the people that are most impacted by these injustices, contact Cindy at cindy@youarepriceless.org.

But you don’t have to be a member of the RJ Network to participate! You can organize your own event and report back on our blog! Tell us about your activities by emailing Tara at tara@thirdwavefoundation.org to join our blog here.

Or, post a video response to our Youtube video – to be launched April 16 here.

Who: For & By All Street Youth*This speak out is organized by YOUTH for YOUTH!Street based means if you identify as being under age 25, homeless,are runaways, DCFS Wards, HIV positive, gang involved, survivors of police brutality, survivors of sexual assault, survivors of the mental health system, have had an abortion, fugitives, squatters, sell drugs to survive, use drugs, are queer, are couch surfin, are disabled, LGBTQAATSI, feminist, activists, butch queens, femme queens, transgender youth, butches, femmes,artist, rioter, involved in any part of the sex trade, rebels, militant fighter, trader, tagger,writer, slam poet, dreamer, racer, vagbond, rapper, youth of color, girls of color, young parents and girls who are mothers, freestyler,buttonmaker, anarchists, revolutionary thinker, or just plain surviving through the day 2 day hustle and flow of our struggle....THIS IS YOUR DAY TO SPEAK OUT!!more info online:http://www.youarepriceless.org/node/168